MUMBAI: Punjab Kings would be “more than interested” if they are offered opportunity to own a team in the proposed Women’s IPL next year, franchise co-owner Ness Wadia said on Monday.
The IPL governing council, which met in person for the first time in almost two years here Friday, decided to make “all efforts” to start a six-team annual Twenty20 tournament for women cricketers.
At the GC meeting, it was also decided that first preference would be given to the existing IPL franchises as far as owning any of the six teams was concerned, Cricbuzz reported. If ownership of the proposed six teams was not made up from among the ten existing IPL franchises, the BCCI would invite outside parties, the cricket website further reported.
“We would be more than interested in that (Women’s IPL). IPL for women is long overdue and it would be very special when it happens. Women’s cricket has really developed over the years,” Wadia told PTI.
“The World Cup is going on right now and there is so much interest for the women’s game. It was heartbreaking to see our team lose yesterday.” Asked about the base price for owning a women’s team, Wadia said: “That is for the BCCI to decide but I can tell you if we are asked to own a team we would be more than interested. I feel the league would be sustainable as well.” The BCCI has been under a bit of pressure to organise the Women’s IPL. Women’s Big Bash in Australia has been taking place since 2015-2016 and a Women’s Hundred competition was also staged in the UK last year. Cricket West Indies will organise a three-team CPL from this year onwards.
It bears noting that the BCCI, despite its financial might, has been lagging behind other cricket boards as far as getting a women’s T20 league off the ground is concerned. At the moment, there are three women’s T20 Leagues operating in the cricket world – Australia’s Big Bash League, England’s Women’s Cricket Super League and South Africa’s Women’s T20 Super League. Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced plans to start a three-team league from this year, alongside the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and neighbouring Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also confirmed plans for its own women’s T20 league.
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